Friday, June 28, 2013

This new Naxos release features three of Michael Daugherty's most recent
compositions for orchestra -- as well the orchestra that commissioned
them. And it's a winning combination. All three works crackle with
energy and excitement. The Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony
know these compositions well. These are committed and self-assured
performances.

Mount Rushmore is an ambitious undertaking, presenting musical
portraits of the four presidents carved into the mountain. Daugherty's
modern, populist style makes the composition mass appeal/ Any of these
movements would be perfect for a patriotic orchestral program (I'm
looking at you, "A Capitol Fourth").

George Washington uses Revolutionary War songs to create a rough hewn folk-art portrait of the General. The second movement, Thomas Jefferson, by contrast is a more sophisticated, restrained movement, befitting the cerebral nature of subject. Theodore Roosevelt,
like the man himself, brims with energy, embracing the outdoors with a
big sound and some Ives-like musical quotes. The longest movement is Abraham Lincoln, a lyrical setting of the Gettysburg Address that serves the text well.

Radio City: Symphonic Fantasy on Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra
is a three-movement suite that captures the vintage lushness of a
Toscanini recording. Without resorting to pastiche, Daugherty conjures
up sound and emotion of the golden age of symphony radio broadcasts.

The Gospel According to Sister Aimee for Organ, Brass and Percussion
uses source material of the period -- traditional American hymns and
gospel songs -- to paint a portrait of one of the first radio
evangelists. Daugherty transforms his material effectively. As the work
progresses, the simplicity of the music loses its way, and becomes
wildly distorted.

Three distinctively American works, by an American composer with a
distinctive voice, performed by an American ensemble. Not to purchase
this would be, well, almost unpatriotic.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The Zia Indians used a symbol for the sun that had rays going out to the four compass points. Zia gathers together music from the four corners of the globe for a truly international program of contemporary music.

The album opens with Leyendas (Legends): An Andean Walkabout by
Gabriela Lena Frank. The work is series of short sketches based on
Chilean native culture. Some references are overt, such as using fourth
and fifths in imitation of Andean pipes; while others are quite subtle,
such as incorporating the Dies Irae into a movement depicting
native professional mourners. Frank's amalgamation of traditional
elements with contemporary classical tradition creates a work that
sounds simultaneously exotic and familiar.

Harrison's best known for his explorations of non-Western music. His String Quartet Set,
though, is based on European classical music, albeit not the kind one
might expect. Harrison uses music of a medieval minnesinger, an obscure
French baroque composer, and music of the Turkish court. Completed in
1979, the work sounds as fresh and modern as if it had been penned
yesterday.

Spanish composer Jose Evangelista weaves 12 Spanish folk songs together in his piece Spanish Garland.
This deceptively simple and attractive work presents the source
material in a single movement that seamlessly glides from song to song.

Reza Vali's Nayshaborak is part of his "Calligraphy" series. It
recasts the musical traditions of Vali's native Iran into Western
classical forms. And quite successfully, too. The violins (to my ears)
effectively emulate the Persian setar in an entrancing fashion.

Australia-based composer Elena Kats-Chermin's Fast Blue Village 2
is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan sketch of a major city. As the title
suggests, there are bluesy bending of notes, coupled with the relentless
drive of minimalism. Not that this is minimalist piece. The texture is
quite thick and the melody churns and changes continually, capturing the
high-energy of a bustling metropolis.

Although the styles on this release are wide-ranging, the Del Sol
handles it all with ease. And no wonder. The quartet actively promotes
contemporary music that stretches beyond the borders of this country.
And they frequently work directly with the composers (as they did with
some on this album). With that level of commitment, the results can't be
anything other than a great performance. And in this case, a great
program, too.

Friday, June 21, 2013

This morning on Vivace, you heard the complete incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Mendelssohn (6 am) in celebration of Midsummer Day, and after another celebration - this time of Franz Danzi's 250th birth anniversary, we observed "Take your dog to work day" at about 7:30 am, featuring music by Chopin, JS Bach and CPE Bach. Today, we enjoyed a 10-legged edition of Vivace: Dogg and Dioji were with me in the studio. Also, we had Sir Neville Marriner conducting three different orchestras (not at the same time!) and music from three members of the Bach family. Woof woof!

Here are the two doggies in the studio, helping me to host Vivace!

You can also replay the program anytime from our archives. The program will be available for replay through 7/5/13

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Dan Visconti is a composer who's equally at home with classical and
popular music traditions. The works on "Lonesome Roads" benefit from
this convergence. Their vernacular gestures and rhythms help audiences
immediately connect with them, giving even non-classical listeners
readily understood points of reference. And the classical underpinnings
to the works give them a satisfying complexity and structural integrity
that reveals new details and relationships with every hearing.

This album presents a sampler of Visconti's chamber music. And while
there is a certain consistency of aesthetic, the variety between the
individual pieces is remarkable. "Remembrances" is a sweetly
post-romantic work for cello and piano that's quite beautiful and
serene. "Fractured Jams" is a series of abrupt mood changes, beginning
with a movement full of sudden outbursts and halting motion, and ending
with a rag distorted through a fun house mirror.

"Low Country Haze," for chamber orchestra shows Visconti's skill as an
orchestrator. The music seems to coalesce out of the air, resolving into
something that hangs shimmering before the listener. "Drift of
Rainbows," for chamber orchestra and delay unit, has a similar quality
to it. Think Arvo Part meets Barber's "Agnus Dei."

Then there's "Hard-Knock Stomp," a bluesy work for solo viola. And
"Ramble and Groove" for solo bassoon -- a work that encourages the
performer to make rude noises with his instrument (one of my favorite
tracks).

"Lonesome Roads" is the centerpiece of this album. It's a fast-paced
single movement work for piano trio. String techniques borrowed from
bluegrass suggest rural roadways, while the relentless pressing of the
rock-inspired rhythms imply that we're driving ever onward over these
two-lane county roads hurrying towards an undisclosed destination.

This is an album for explorers. If you're fed up with Top 40 and are
exploring the boundries of alternative music, "Lonesome Roads" will take
you just a little further. If you're tired of the same old/same old
classical repertoire, and are looking for something other than dry
academic exercises, "Lonesome Roads" will renew your faith in classical
music's contemporary relevance.

Friday, June 14, 2013

This morning, it was a great pleasure to welcome the string quartet from Music Feeds Us to the studio for a live concert during the final hour of Vivace. These fine young people, led by Avery Waite (cello) and Fitz Gary (viola), are playing to support the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which serves more than 120,000 people each month. In 2012, they distributed more than 17 million meals to hungry families across the Blue Ridge - made up of some 145,600 different people - through a far-reaching network of food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, churches and non-profit groups. They deserve your support!

Avery and Fitz were joined by Dorothy Ro and Audrey Wright (violins). You can catch the whole show at WTJU's Tape Vault. Here's a photo of Avery Waite (left) and Fitz Gary (right) as they were performing live in the studio:

This special edition of "Vivace" is available in the WTJU Tape Vault through June 28. 2013. You can access and replay the program anytime during that period for free.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

This recording features two works by Peter Knell, and one by Sergei Prokofiev -- but there's a good reason for its inclusion.

The title work, Snapshots is a set of 22 short vignettes for
piano. Each one is a delightful miniature. Knell has arranged them so
that they form a logical progression, making Snapshots an enjoyable
20-minute listen.

Prokofiev's Visions fugitives, Op. 27 follows Snapshots on
the album. This collection of 20 short piano pieces invites comparison
to the miniatures of Knell's work. Prokfiev's forward-looking acerbic
writing nicely complements Knell's sometimes backward-looking style, and
the two works kind of meet stylistically in the middle.

Knell's Piano Sonata No. 1 rounds out the program. Although a weightier work than Snapshots,
it still fits with the other two pieces. This 12-minute sonata
comprises of five short movements, all under three minutes in length.
This is about the same length as some of the longer sections of Snapshots and Visions fugitives. The sonata moves from one distilled emotion to the next, each movement offering a dramatic contrast to the one before.

Knell's piano writing is idiomatic and sure. Knell incorporates elements
of other musical genres (like rock and soul) into his pieces, making
them true works of the eclectic 21st century.

Markus Pawlik's technique is flawless. His clean articulation at times makes the music sparkle.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

After a peaceful first hour, we'll celebrate the birthday of the ballet Sylvia by Leo Delibes at 7:00 am. At about 7:30 am, we'll celebrate the 236th birthday of the Star Spangled Banner as the flag of the United States and the 238th birthday of the US Army. Included in that celebration, I'll have a very rare recording of the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff himself playing the national anthem.

Then after another of Mozart's apocryphal symphonies and a visit to the world of operetta, we'll devote the final hour of this Friday's Vivace to a live concert by
Avery Waite (cello) and Fitz Gary (viola) from Music Feeds Us

They
will also be appearing in a kids concert on
Wednesday (June 12) at 4 pm, at the Gordon Avenue Library,
where they will perform "Carnival of the Animals", on
Thursday evening (June 13) at 7pm at The Bridge PAI, on
Saturday morning, 9am-11am, at an outreach performance at
the Charlottesville City Market, as well as their two main
concerts Saturday afternoon at Trinity Episcopal Church in
Staunton and Sunday afternoon (3 pm) at First Presbyterian
Church in Charlottesville.

Avery has performed on Sesame Street and solo
at the Lincoln Center, and is an extraordinarily talented cellist.

Please feel free to stop by
the studio and be part of the audience. And if you can manage a small
donation for the
Blue Ridge Food Bank, I know they'd be grateful. This should be fun!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Arabella Steinbacher brings together three well-known works that all
look to the Romantic Period; the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, Chausson's
Poeme, and Eric Korngold's Violin Concerto.

Max Bruch was a staunch defender of the traditional romanticism of
Mendelssohn and Brahms, an aesthetic reflected in his most popular work,
the Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor. Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) wrote
his Poeme for Violin and Orchestra during the end of the Romantic
period, and while somewhat forward-looking, still has its roots in the
19th Century. Eric Korngold finished his Violin Concerto in 1945,
writing in the unabashedly late-Romantic style of his youth.

Because all three of these works were written for with a Romantic
aesthetic, one might expect a release full of over-wrought drama and
passion. Steinbacher takes a different approach.

Rather than focus on the emotive qualities of the music. Steinbacher
plays with a clean, clear tone and temperament well-suited to these
works. Her performances are thoughtful, eschewing overblown emotional
and technical fireworks. Rather, Steinbacher colors the music more
subtly. A light tripping over the strings sounds like a smile. A long,
drawn out melody can seem wistful, a technically difficult passage
played with ease and a little bit of self-effacement. Steinbacher's art
is quietly attractive, and one that can make even these overly-familiar
works sound fresh.

Of course one can play this release on a standard CD player, but to
really appreciate everything that's going on here, I recommend using an
SACD player. The more detailed SACD recording reveals all the nuances of
Steinbacher's playing. And it also presents the Gulbenkain Orchestra
more accurately. Conductor Lawrence Foster matches Steinbacher's
approach to these works, and additional presence the SACD provides makes
for a more satisfying listening experience overall.

Friday, June 7, 2013

It's a remarkable release for a remarkable occasion. May, 2013 is the
centennial of the premier of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" in Paris.
While the work no longer incites riots, it has become a repertoire
standard, and one that can sound fresh and exotic even today.

Naive marks the event with this deluxe release. The hardbound 90-page
book contains a DVD of Tugan Sokhiev conducting the Orchestre National
du Capitole de Toulous in a live performance of the Rite. Also included
is a CD with the same forces performing the "Rite of Spring" and
Stravinsky's "The Firebird."

The multi-language booklet features essays about both works, and
wonderful two-color illustrations by Sophie Chaussade. Yes, these
recordings are also available for download, but get the book. The
illustrations and the feel of this quality print edition are worth the
investment.

Musically, Sokhiev and the orchestra perform admirably. The ensemble
plays with energy and precision. The fast sections in the ballets are
amazingly clean, and the articulation makes the music sparkle. The
soloists are also first-rate, especially in the Rite of Spring.

The DVD is a 48kbps/16-bit recording, which sounds great, especially
through a two-channel system. Intelligent editing keeps the visuals
coordinated with the music. We see the soloists when they perform, and
-- more importantly -- focus on relevant parts of the orchestra when the
entire ensemble's playing.. Just as the conductor's gestures can draw
the listener's attention to something that otherwise might be lost in
the mix in a live performance, the cameras here do the same.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

I'm delighted to join the online blogging crew. And I hope
you'll make a regular date to join me for Vivaceon WTJU (Friday
mornings, 6-9 am).

As you listen to the program over the summer, you'll hear me play
one of Mozart's apocryphal symphonies each week. This Friday,
I'll play Symphony No. 45. Most people are familiar with Mozart's
symphonies up to No. 41, even though some of those are of uncertain
origin. However, beyond those, there are others, usually
numbered 42-55, which were later attributed to him and which are
rarely heard.

All the apocryphal symphonies have been recorded by the Academy of
St. Martin in the Fields. They are, as you might expect,
sensitive, faithful recordings, expertly performed, and it is those
recordings which will be featured on Vivace, usually sometime between
7 and 9 am. I hope you'll tune in: enjoy fine classical music
on a fine summer morning - and all year long!

This Friday, June 7, we have another special treat for you:
my esteemed co-host, Andrew O'Shanick is spending the summer in
Austria, but you can hear his splendid singing voice this Friday on
Vivace. As ever, thanks so much for listening to WTJU!

Monday, June 3, 2013

This 2-disc set present the six string quartets (and two works for string quartet plus one) by Polish composer Zbigniew Bargielski.
Bargielski writes in a highly personal form of atonality, one that to
my ears sounds similar to fellow countryman Henryk Gorecki in his early
works. Bargielski's developed what he calls a "theory of center
structures" that gives his composition direction. The idea is to balance
the center sounds (melodies) with those of the harmonic centers, paying
attention to dynamics, tonal color and duration.

One of the most effective works in this collection is "A Night of
Farewells," for accordion and string quartet. I found it especially
appealing because of the ensemble's interesting blend. The accordion
doesn't playing anything remotely folk-like, yet it gives the work a
decided Eastern European flavor. The clarinet in "Through the Looking
Glass "(for string quartet with clarinet) also has a similar effect.
Bargielski give the clarinet an aggressive sound and has it bending
pitches that sound Klezmer-inspired.

At first hearing, the six string quartets seem remarkably similar. Only
after living with the music for a while could I hear the gradual
development of Bargielski's musical language from work to work as he
explored the possibilities of his center structure concept. Make no
mistake: this is difficult listening. But the music holds rewards for
the thoughtful and attentive listener.

Bargielski's compositions are especially well-suited to the SACD format.
His careful balancing of musical centers is done with precision and
delicacy. Subtle changes in timbre and articulation that are lost on the
CD version are easily heard on the SACD version.